HSBC Australia head of commercial banking James Hogan said Australia's business-friendly conditions made it an attractive investment destination for China.

"While 80 per cent of China's investment into Australia to date has been in mining, its increasing demand for high-end manufacturing, renewable energy and agriculture will open up new opportunities for Australia," Mr Hogan said.

Companies that hadn't previously done business in Australia were focused on non-mining sectors.

While Chinese investment in Australia accounted for less than three per cent of the nation's total foreign investment in 2011, it has ranked in the top-three sources for proposed investments in the past three years.

"We are clearly front of mind for Chinese companies for exports and imports," Mr Hogan said.

Australia is now China's seventh-largest trading partner.

The survey showed 52 per cent of Chinese companies in Australia were involved in manufacturing and 28 per cent were in non-mining import/export industries, while just 20 per cent were involved in mining.

Mr Hogan said China's total direct outbound investments were expected to exceed $US150 billion ($A145.57 billion) per year, growing at around 17 per cent per annum.